


the enlightened ruler is heedful

by mutents



Category: Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon Divergence - The Battle of the Blackwater, Canon-typical language, F/M, Post - Red Wedding, Queen Sansa, Sansa Stark is Queen in the North
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-23
Updated: 2017-11-23
Packaged: 2019-02-05 07:28:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,456
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12789720
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mutents/pseuds/mutents
Summary: The Northern Lords had gathered in the Great Hall, all of them either seated at the tables by the sides or standing in front of the dais.Sandor stood by the door, his hackles raised as he watched the men and women talk loudly. Sansa still had yet to arrive, and Sandor recognized it for the power move that it was.





	the enlightened ruler is heedful

**Author's Note:**

> So, this is basically a massive bastardization of both show canon and book canon and telltale game canon and card game canon and head canon. Basically, if it can be found on either of the wiki's, it's here.
> 
> Hope it's enjoyable!

The Northern Lords had gathered in the Great Hall, all of them either seated at the tables by the walls or standing in front of the dais.

Sandor stood by the door, his hackles raised as he watched the men and women talk loudly. Sansa still had yet to arrive, and Sandor recognized it for the power move that it was. A few of the lords seemed to take it harder than the others; Lord Levir Karstack had begun pacing earlier.

Sandor felt someone tap on his shoulder, and turned to look down at the small boy. "Um, Ser Hound?"

Sandor bit back a snarl, still hating to be called 'Ser', but he could hardly hold his past against the young child. "Yes, Robart?"

"Queen Stark would like to see you, Ser," he said, looking with wide eyes at the gathered adults.

"She's not Queen yet," Lady Relina Slate muttered.

Sandor turned to look at the woman, growling low in his throat. Several of the Lords gathered around her took a step back, but she stood tall. "Watch how you speak of Lady Stark," he hissed.

She stayed still for several seconds, before nodding.

Sandor stepped into the hallway, turning to look at Robart Snow. "And where will I find her?"

The boy looked down at his hands. "She was on the wall, Ser, looking across the lands."

Sandor nodded, patting the boy on the shoulder. "Good, thank you. Now, go work on your footwork, Robart. I'm expecting you to train with me tomorrow."

Robart looked up at Sandor, a wide smile on his face.

Sandor walked quickly towards the wall, letting his long legs swallow up the ground. He took the stairs two at a time, talking a deep breath of the cold air.

"I was wondering how long it would take you to get here," Sansa said, not turning to look at him.

"Sorry, Milady," he responded, pulling up next to her.

"Are the Lords and Ladies feeling properly nervous?"

"I'd say so."

"Wonderful." She paused, her eyes surveying the land that surrounded Winterfell. "I stood here with my father once, and Arya. He told us that we wouldn't be able to call Winterfell our home forever. That someday we would have to leave, find new homes. That we might never see them again. For me it all sounded like a story, or a song; the fair maiden being stolen away from her cold Northern home by some handsome Southern Lord or knight... Arya spent the rest of the day ranting to mother and father that she would never leave these walls. She said that she'd gripped the stones of this keep in her claws from birth, and that the only thing that would loosen her hold was death.

"Never imagined that it would me standing on this Wall, wondering if I would be allowed to lead the north," she said, her voice far away. "Never imagined that I would be the last Stark in Winterfell."

She shook her head, turning towards Sandor. "Shall we go hear their verdict?"

He nodded, falling into step behind her and following her back to the Great Hall. Stepping in front of her, he swung the door open for her before stepping in after her. Sandor looked over the Lords and the Ladies, watching as they knelt to the ground, noting which one's waited the longest.

Sansa kept her head held high, crossing the floor with a grace that he'd only ever seen her possess. He kept in line with her, settling into his spot behind her left shoulder.

She turned, standing in front of her wooden throne and looking across the men and women. "It is wonderful to see you all gathered here, though it saddens my heart to know what events have lead us here.

"The last time many of you gathered in the walls of Winterfell, my mother and Robb stood before you. They asked you to support him, to go to war for him, and many of you did. And all of you lost someone; mothers and sisters," she looked towards Lyanna, "sons," she said, turning her attention to Greatjon, "and husbands," she finished, turning to look at Lady Relina. "All of us still mourn. All of the North still mourns. All of us will continue to mourn, because the North Remembers.

"My mother and Robb asked you to fight to avenge my father, and to fight to return both Arya and I to Winterfell. I will not ask that of you. I will not ask you to send your sons and daughters to die. I will only ask you to defend our home. We are the Lords of the North, and the only thing we have to fear lies beyond the Wall. We have survived through wars and rebellions and the frozen grasp of Winter. When the Southern lords fall by their own hands - and I promise you that they will fall - only the North will survive."

Sandor kept his face straight, though he felt pride well in his breast. He stood silent behind the throne as Sansa took her seat, watching the men and women look around at each other. Rodard Ashwood was the first to push himself to her feet.

"The Ashwood's have been among House Stark's many loyal followers for a thousand years. I've lived most of my life believing that we would remain loyal to the very end. My son went to the Frey's with your mother and brother, and fell with them. And I will fall rushing into battle behind a Stark. But I don't know if I can follow a wolf who has a dog biting at her heels."

Sandor stood straighter, knowing in his heart that this was the only way the story could end. Dog's like him didn't win birds like Sansa.

Lady Relina was the next to stand. "My son's and my husband died fighting for your Kingly brother. They swore allegiance to a Stark because a Stark is all they've known. But I've known others. I came with Catelyn to the North. I was originally a younger daughter of House Whent. Now only I survive. And when I fall, two once great houses will fall with me. But I will fall as I have lived; fighting. I will not fall to that Cunt in King's Landing. I will not fall to the second Stag. And I will not fall for a wolf being fucked by some dog."

Sandor gripped the pommel of his sword, his knuckles turning white. He was fighting against every molecule of his being, almost desperate to draw his blade and bring Lady Relina to heel.

After that, Cley Cerwyn stood. "I am here to represent my sister and all of House Cerwyn. Our father died for your brother, taken hostage by a Lannister bastard that had a Clegane cunt doing his bidding. My sister told me to come here and to bend the knee, to accept Lady Sansa as Queen in the North. But so long as you have that flea bitten bastard by your side, I cannot in good conscience raise my sword to you."

Sansa sat back, nodding at the various men and women gathered in the room. "I had a feeling that would be your response. The name Clegane brings rage to almost every house that isn't under the Lannister banner, and even to many who are. And believe me when I say that the Hound standing by my side terrified me at one point as well. But he told me once that a hound will die for you, but never lie to you. At the time I was too young and too stubborn to understand what he meant. Now, I believe that I do.

"I would not be sitting here before you without this man. I would still be under the thumb of that very Lannister Cunt you talked about, Lady Relina. And Lord Rodard, we have lived under the banner "The North Remembers" for hundreds of years. And I have not forgotten the stories of your sister that my mother told me. The abuses she was placed under by Tybolt Clegane when she went South to find a husband. Ser Cerwyn, the hound you speak of is not the son that stands beside me; in fact, if the chance is ever put before the two of you, I know for a fact that Sandor will fight for the right to kill Gregor.

"The Clegane that stands behind me is no longer loyal to the Lannister's, but we would never hold the Tyrell's over Lord Manderly's head, now would we? And he is not his father or brother - or, should we also hold the deeds done by Gannon and Carston against you, Daris Overtook?

"If you still choose not to stand behind me, I will understand. I will take Sandor and we will leave Winterfell to whoever is chosen to lead. But, if you want me to sit on this throne, it is unfortunately a package deal."

"Lady Sansa, if he's willing to turn his back on the Lannister's - the family that gave his grandfather the land in the first place, the family that made him something more than a kennel master's son, the family that has employed his sword for all of his years... What makes you think he won't do the same to the Starks?" Rodrick Ryswell asked, not pushing his frail body to a stand.

The Lords stood silently, most avoiding Sansa's watchful gaze. After several more seconds of silence, Sandor took a step off of the dais and looked around at them. They all refused to meet his eyes as well.

Nodding, he turned and knelt in front of Sansa, placing his sword on the dais in front of him.

Sansa held up a leather gloved hand. "Pick the sword up, Sandor."

"But, Sansa..." He murmured, his voice gruff.

"Pick up your sword and return to your post, or I fear I will have to place charges of treason against you."

He stayed stock still for several seconds, before taking his sword and sliding it back into his scabbard. He looked back down at the ground, before placing his foot on the dais.

"I fought with Sandor," Howland Reed said, not stepping forward from where he was leaning against the wall. "During Robert's Rebellion. Not for very long; Eddard and I had other places we needed to be during that time. But I remember his reaction to his brother's atrocities. It was the face of a man who wasn't surprised. It's the face of a man who's suffered under those same hands.

"I promised Eddard that I would die protecting a Stark. I protected him during the rebellion, but I couldn't protect him in King's Landing. I will die for this Stark, and if I die next to a Hound, I will have died with the only person I believe is capable of protecting her. If this dog can drag her out of the Lion's den, then he is as much a wolf as Catelyn, as much a wolf as Robb, and certainly as much of a wolf as Eddard. Sansa Stark is the only Queen I will ever kneel to. Sansa Stark is Queen in the North," he said, pulling his sword from his scabbard and bending his knee.

"Mormont's have followed the Stark's into every battle they've ever fought," the small Lyanna Mormont spoke, her voice powerful. "We followed them onto the fields for Robert's Rebellion, fighting for Lady Lyanna's honor. We followed them for Robb and Catelyn. We will follow Sansa to the Wall and back. I will only bow my knee to a Stark. Sansa Stark is Queen in the North!" She said, pulling out a small but deadly looking dagger and slamming it into the table.

Wyman Manderly levered himself off of his bench. "We were accepted into the North by Stark's. We will die fighting for the Stark's. And if this Stark requires us to accept a Clegane, I will give him as warm a welcome as the Stark's did us. I will accept only Sansa Stark as Queen in the North."

As Wyman drew his sword and bent down to his knee, the Lord's of Woodfield and the Flint's of Widow's Walk drew their swords and knelt as well.

Sandor had paused standing next to Sansa, turning to watch the sight of these men and women bowing not just to their Queen, but to the idea of allowing him to stay in the North all together.

"Perhaps we should allow Clegane the chance to defend himself, as well," old Lord Locke said, his words distorted by his lack of teeth. "I believe I might know a little more about the Clegane's than young Lord Ryswell does."

The attention of the room turned from Ondrew and to Sandor. Shifting on his feet, Sandor had to remind himself to stand still. He was giving himself away like a pup. "I don't think that's..."

"See! Even he doesn't believe he should be here!" Cerwyn exclaimed, jumping to his feet and lunging at Sandor, only to be grabbed by the Lord of House Lake.

"Go ahead, boy," Lord Locke said, leaning forward and resting his chin on his cane. "We try to hold ourselves to higher standards than those Southern Lord's you used to, but the young never quite learn. Why do you think you should stay?"

"Because when I die protecting a Lord or Lady, I want her to be one I believe in," Sandor said.

Ondrew watched him closely, then nodded as a smile warmed his vulture-like face. "And is it not our willingness to die for a Stark that defines our very houses? Rodard and Cley... I believe both of you said that you would follow the Stark's willingly. It seems that this Clegane boy would do the same. Then he's already a Northern Lord!" He twisted his head, looking at Sansa. "And if I were five years younger I would be bowing my knee to you. But as I'm not quite as spry as I once was, a simple raise of my cane will have to do; Queen in the North!"

As he raised his cane and shouted, both Rodard and Lady Relina raised their weapons as well. "Queen in the North!"

Sandor turned his eyes to Cley, who stood still for several seconds before raising his own sword and letting out a bellow. "Queen in the North!"

Soon the room was full of loud voices, chanting Queen in the North in unison.

Sandor turned to look at Sansa, who had a serious expression on her face. But her eyes were full of fire.


End file.
